Refrigerator



, P. MANl'sczALco4 2,331,560

REFRIGRATQR Filqa Nov. 15. 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 r l l l I I I l IL l fraz/62???? I Tm im .m .ma I

REFRIGRATOR Filed Nov.A 15, 1940 heet 2 Oct. 12, 1943. P, MANlscALo REFRIGERATOR vFiled Nov. 15, 1940 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 fia/@72327 Patented Oct. 12,

UNITED` STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR Pietro Manlscalco, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 15, 1940, Serial No. 365,766 1o claims. (ci. i2- 89) This invention relates to improvements in refrigerators.

One of-the main objects of this invention is to provide an improved refrigerator which comprises not onlyan improved food storing chamber and ice cube making chamber, but which furthermore comprises a highly efficient and desirable freezing chamber for promptly freezing and conserving meats and other foods, etc., with- `out causing any shrinkage or loss of weigh thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide the refrigerator With an improved freezing chamber for preserving frozen food therein, and wherein said chamber is arranged and mounted in the cabinet so that a small space `is formed between it and the cabinet wall to provide anice cube freezing chamber, and a larger space is likewise formed to provide a chamber for storjing food and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide 'chambers provided with means for controlling the circulation of cool air from one chamber to another, in order to be able to adjust and vary the temperature in either of these chambers and thus selectively vary the refrigerating effect of this device on the different objects stored in the different chambers; and likewise be able to close off some of said chambers and thus also econo inize on the use of refrigerant.

'Another object of this invention vis to arrange and construct my improved freezing device so that it can be built into a newly constructed cabinet; and it can furthermore be installed detachably in the cabinet of a refrigerator, taking the place of the usual ice cube `freezing unit therein, and can be operatively connected withv other arrangements and forms of construction may be adopted in carrying'out the objects and purposes of this invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevational view illustrating a refrigerator'embodying this invention in its pref` ferredfo'rm, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of an apertured door including circulation-controlling means on one of the storage chambers.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of this invention taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on line il-E of Fig. 3, the top and bottom parts being omitted. l

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the freezing device, which is removably mountable in the cabinet of a` domestic refrigerator or the like.

This invention is illustrated in the drawings in its preferred form of construction, and as being embodied in a domestic type of refrigerator comprising a cabinet IIJ, 'said cabinet being shown as provided with upstanding walls II having a, top wall I2 and a bottom wall I3 thereon and a door I4 hinged thereto, all provided with suitable heat insulatingv material, as indi-l A refrigerator of this type is usually provided with a compressor-condenser unit or operating unit I5, which is illustrated-as including a compressor I6, a driving motor IIav condenser I 8 and a tank I9; and these are provided with suit-. able conduits connecting the same, including the feed conduit 20 extending from the tank and having an expansion valve 2l therein, and the i return conduit 22 for returning the refrigerant the customary 'compressor-condenser unit of such refrigerator. v

These and various other objects and advantages are attained with this invention, as will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is disclosed in its preferred form, it being apparent that various to the compressor I6. Saidfunit I5` is-inounted in a machinery chamber 23,-which is herein provided at the top of the cabinet.

The essential feature of thisv invention comprises a novel freezing device 25, which is shown per se in Fig. 6, and, is shown otherwise as installed in the cabinet I0. It is preferablyprovided with supporting legs 26 which are hinged thereto, so that they maybe swung inwardly thereunder, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. v4. This device is thereby adapted for convenient installation -in and removal from any suitable cabinet; and it can thus be readily built into a new cabinet, and can also be installed in the cabinets of existing refrigerators, and have its refrigerant conducting `conduits operatively connected with a suitable operating unit. When this device is installed in such a former type of cabinet it takes the place of the customary icemaking unit therein and is substituted in place thereof.

This device 25 is constructed in the form of a jacket having a space or chamber means in its wall adapted to receive a liquid therein, and in this illustrated form the jacket includes hollow walls providing a liquid chamber 21 therebetween, and also providing a freezing chamber 28 within the inner walls, having a door 29 hinged thereon and adapted to close said chamber 28 air-tight. Refrigerant conducting means 30 is provided on said jacket, and is shown'as a continuous coil wound around the inner walls and immersed in said liquid. Said coil is connected by coupling means 3| with the expansion valve 2l and by coupling means 32 with the return pipe 22.

The liquid used therein is preferably a frost resisting one, such as a strong salt brine, a diluted solution of diethylene-glycol, or the like,

which can be chilled to exert extreme cooling and freezing effect on the inner chamber 28 without becoming congealed or solid in lthe liquid chamber 21.

'I'he freezing device 25 extends substantially as a partition across the upper part of the cabinet, adjacent the top I2; thereby providing a small chamber 33 between the top of the device 25 and the top wall I2 of the cabinet, and a door 34 is hinged at the front thereof. This chamber 33 provides the ice-making chamber, adapted to have suitable pans 35 placed therein for making ice cubes. With this arrangementl the space between the lower side of the device and the lower part of the cabinet also provides a storage space 36 for food and the like.

Novel shelves 31 are provided in this cabinet, which are substantially in the form of partition walls extending across the cabinet, and are shown mounted removably on bracket means 38 provided on legs 26. Each partition is preferably in the form of a perforated plate having elongated slots 35 therein, as best shown in Fig. 3; and control means is provided thereon, which is shown as including a slide plate 40 adjustably slidable on partition plate 31 and provided with slots 4l therein, adapted'to register with slots 39 for circulation of air therethru, and likewise to be closed when desired. Doors,43 are placed in front of partitions 31, being hinged on a leg 26, by means 44 and 45 on said leg and doors, so as to provide several separate or individual chambers 46, 46 and 45" within the storage space 36 in the cabinet. With this arrangement the separate storage chambers 46, 46- and 46" can be retained at different temperatures, by moving the hooks 41 which depend from plates 40 and sliding said plates. Likewise, the doors 43 are -provided wtih slots 49 and have each a control plate 50 slidable thereon containing slots l, adapted to register with slots 49, so that the ventilation through the doors can be adjusted or closed off by moving lmobs 53 which extend forwardly from said doors, and sliding said plates.

A drip pan 54 is preferably also mounted under the freezing device 25, adapted to collect any moisture caused by defrosting of the freezing device, etc., and this pan is furthermore well adapted for receiving fish and the like to Vbe chilled or frozen therein.

It is apparent from the above disclosure that with this invention I have provided a novel form of freezing device for a refrigerator, which is especially adapted for quickly freezing various types of foods therein, and for preserving them in a frozen condition for an extended length of time. It is furthermore apparent that I have herewith provided such a freezing device which can be built into newly constructed cabinets, and

can likewise be installed in the existing cabinets of domestic refrigerators. It is moreover apparent that by this arrangement of the device in the cabinet I also provide a small ice-making chamber 33 therein, and a plurality of separate and independent food storage chambers 46, 46' and 46, and that these chambers can be controlled so as to retain them at different temperatures, and one or more of them can be shut off from the circulation of cool air, when not required, and thereby also effect economy in the operation of the compressor-condenser unit.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet having heat insulated Walls, chamber forming means mounted in the cabinet and having refrigerant conducting means thereon to provide a freezing chamber, partition means mounted apart across the cabinet providing shelves therein and having doors thereon, thereby forming several individual storage chambers, and apertured means provided on at least one of the partition means and doors for controlling circulation of air therethru.

2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said partition means comprises an apertured plate and the doors are apertured, all provided with control means thereon for adjusting the aperture openings and to close the same, whereby the circulation of cool air can be controlled and also closed off from some of said chambers.

3. In a refrigerator containing a cabinet having heat insulated walls and an operating unit associated therewith, a freezing device in the cabinet consisting of a double-walled jacket providing a freezing chamber therein and having a liquid containing space in its double wall, and refrigerant conducting means immersed in the liquid and actuated by said operating unit for chilling said liquid and producing a uniform freezing effect thereby in said chamber, said jacket extending across the interior of the cabinet to cooperate with the cabinet walls and divide said interior into an ice making space and a food storage space lon the opposite sides of the jacket.

4. A refrigerating device adapted for convenient installation in a refrigerator having a cabil net with heat insulated walls and an operating r to be operably connected with said operating unit.

and a door on said jacket to close the chamber for preserving frozen food therein.

5. 'I'he subject matter set forth in claim 4, wherein the jacket supporting members are in the form of movably mounted legs, adapted to support the device in a cabinet, and shelf means are detachably supported on bracket means provided on said legs, said shelf means being detachable from the bracket means and the device being readily removable from the cabinet assaeeo adapted for chilling and freezing fish and also i jior receiving any moisture that may descend from 6.l 1n a domestic type of refrigerator contain- 'nm a cabinet having heat insulated walls and n operating unit associated therewith, a freezing device .comprising a door-equipped Jacket mounted across the cabinet, providing a chamber therein for freezing and conserving foods and having a liquid containing space in its walls, refrigerant conducting means immersed insaid liquid and being detachably and operably connected with said operating unit, thereby providing a small ice-making chamber between the device and the top of the cabinet, legs movably mounted under the device to support it in the cabinet and being removable with the device from the cabinet, and shelf plate means extending across the cabinet providing partitions therein, being removably supported on said legs and having'doors in front thereof, thereby providing individual chambers for storing foods therein, said device with legs and doors and partition means being all readily removable'fromthe cabinet and readily mountable therein.

7. The subject matter set forth inv claim 46,

wherein the partitions and the doors are providedl thereby the temperature'in these several storage chambers, and also forvclosing of! some of the chambers, while others are in use.

8. In a domestic type of refrigerator containing a cabinet having heat insulated walls, -a freezing device comprising refrigerant conducting means thereon and a door-equipped freezing chamber therein for freezing foods, supporting members under said device whereon it is supported in the cabinet to be readily removable therefrom and to extend across its interior at the upper part of the cabinet thereby providing a space above it to serve as an ice-making chamber, also providing chamber means below it to serve for storing foods and the like, and a drip pan removably mounted on said members directly beneath said device.

the device.

` 9. A domestic type of refrigerator comprising a cabinet containing heat insulated walls and having an operating unit lassociated therewith, a freezing device including a jacket constructed 'to provide a freezing chamber for freezing foods therein and extending across the interior of the cabinet near one of said walls to cooperate therewith for dividing said interior into a relatively small space for making ice cubes. therein and into a larger space for storing foods, said jacket containing a freezing unit actuated by said operating unit, means on the jacket for supporting it in the cabinet to provide for ready insertion therein and removal therefrom, and detachable partition means and door means provided for the storage space to produce several individual closed chambers for-storing foods therein.

10. A domestic type of refrigerator comprising a cabinet having heat /insulated walls providing a large interior space therein and having an operating unit associated therewith, a freezing device comprising adoor-equipped closed casing constructed to provide a. freezing chamber therein and containing a freezing unit detachably connected with said operating unit, said device being removably mounted across the cabinets interior to cooperate therewith for dividing it into a relatively small ice freezing space and a larger and less cold space for storing foods, means for removably supporting said casing in said interior,

and shelf means in said larger space being associated with said supporting meansand providing several food storing chambers, the construction being adapted for readily removing said casing with its freezing unit and also said shelf means readily from the cabinet and likewise readily-inserting the same therein.

PIETRO MANISCALCO. 

